KHMELEVKA

A bright bolide was observed on March 1, 1929 in the Omsk region and triggered an eight-year search for the meteorite. Mr. P.L. Dravert searched and searched for the meteorite, and at last his persistence was rewarded. The first, main fragment of the meteorite weighing 5.95 kg was found in a peasant house, on top of a barrel of sauerkraut. For lack of other rocks nearby, the meteorite was being used as a weight to hold the top of the barrel.

Dravert wrote:

"I read an article about Khmelevka in "Komsomolskaya Pravda" with great surprise. I was especially surprised by the end of the article, to hear I was to be issued a prize. Some comrades raised this question about that here but I was against the idea. The search for the meteorite was my duty as a naturalist and I was not looking for any personal reward. The Regional Bureau covered all my expenses for the long search and thus, I owe no one any money and am owed no money. I hope this question has not been discussed officially and I ask that it not be pressed.

The moral support of the Academy of Sciences and my friends are very important for me and I repeat that I was not expecting financial gain for myself while performing my duty of serving the interests of science."